No, Don’t #BreakUpWithBacon: Campaign Targets D.C. With Bad Science

Misinformation is again waging war against bacon. A quarter-million-dollar ad campaign that launched this fall on TV, radio and bus kiosks in Washington, D.C., claims there are health risks to eating bacon and other processed meats.

Still, that doesn’t change the tactics from activists. “Cigarettes taste good, but we grow up and realize it’s not healthy,” Barnard told the Post. “We have to grow up and set aside these adolescent behaviors that are not great for us.”

Colorectal cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, is on rise for people under 55 years old. Barnard and supporters say the main reason is eating processed meats such as bacon, sausage, ham and pepperoni.

As Humane Watch reports, “No sensible person would claim that eating bacon is as likely to cause cancer as smoking. According to the New York Times, smoking “raises a person’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer by a staggering 2,500 percent.” Consuming bacon on the other hand—according to the WHO’s standards—translates to less than a one percent increase in the lifetime risk for colorectal cancer. That also means cutting bacon from your diet likely won’t have a huge impact on your cancer risk.